Sorry for the lack of post! Here are some news updates for y'all.
Men's Swimming and Diving opens at No. 1 in CSCAA preseason rankingsUnder the direction of 31st-year head coach Eddie Reese, Texas has received the No. 1 preseason ranking from the CSCAA (College Swimming Coaches Association of America) for a second consecutive year.
The Longhorns, who return 12 All-Americans from the 2008 squad that placed second at the NCAA Championships, garnered seven of the eight first-place votes. Stanford ranks second, and defending NCAA champion Arizona and Florida are tied for third. Michigan rounds out the top five.
The 40-man Texas swimming and diving roster boasts a blend of swimmers and divers with major international experience along with a talented group of newcomers that includes an Olympic finalist and the 2008 National High School Swimmer of the Year.
Longhorns Profile - Ricky BerensComplete article at
MySanAntonioIs it true that your favorite thing to eat is uncooked ramen and hot dogs?(Surprised gasp) No. That was one time. I was out of food, and I had ramen and hot dogs for lunch one day. And I had a really good practice after that, so I guess it wasn't too bad.
I'm a picky eater. I wasn't eating too well in the summer before the Olympic Trials, so I actually asked my mom to make me a list of foods to eat. At home, I literally rotate dinners every night. I was running out of ideas. So, it's a bunch of pizzas, steak and mashed potatoes and a lot of pasta.
And is it also true that at the Olympic Trials you swam three different personal bests to make the team, and were fueled almost solely on oatmeal cream pies?(Laughter) This is bad. No. No, not at all. I ate other things too.
For some reason, I get random cravings for random foods. So, you always have to keep a box of oatmeal cream pies around the house, just in case. It's a good snack. That and Nutter Butters.
Men's Swimming's Kris Kubik recalls BeijingFrom parts
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2A pair of swimmers you have coached the last couple of years at UT, Ricky Berens and Dave Walters, won gold as members of the 800 freestyle relay. Talk about the feeling of seeing them reach the pinnacle of their sport after watching them work so hard toward that goal the last two years.I would give great credit to Eddie Reese for preparing them for what to experience. I give an amazing amount of credit to their peers on the team who took them under their wings and showed them that, yes, it's a huge world stage, but the bottom line is when you dive in, it's the same as when you're swimming summer league when you're a little kid, or at a high school meet, or in our case, an NCAA meet.
It's just racing. I think they understood that, and I'm incredibly proud of the fact that they represented not only the country well in the way they performed, but in their actions outside of the pool. They were very well-received by the Chinese. They were well-received by people back home who saw interviews with them after their competitions. They really represented their families, our program, The University of Texas and our country admirably. I'm very proud of that.
Mostly, I was just very proud that the work they had put in for a long, long time prior to coming to Texas - they were both very well-coached prior to coming here - paid off. Once they got here, they did the small things in the sport that we look to see corrected...push-offs, streamlines, good technique, good breathing patterns, not breathing into their finish.
A lot of that comes from something I call perpetuity - the way that Dave finished his race without breathing his last six strokes was very similar to the way Garrett Weber-Gale finished his races in his 100s and 50s and on his relay. That was very similar to what he learned from Neil Walker, and what Neil learned from Josh Davis, and so on.
All that came from something that we've worked very hard on...it's not something we just wake up and do. You have to practice it. To see all that come to fruition in that race, on that stage, was unforgettable.
Two UT juniors - Ricky Berens and Dave Walters - brought back valuable experiences - not to mention a pair of gold medals - from Beijing. How will their Olympic experiences benefit them in their two remaining years of college swimming? It could work both ways. At their next big meet, they may only have 200 people in the stands. They just swam in front of 17,000 people in Beijing and millions of people watching at home. So, it's a bit of a challenge from a coaching standpoint. But, the team atmosphere in college swimming...being a part of that will help. They're not alone standing there, but the eyes of Texas truly are upon them.
The swimming fans from Texas, and a lot of people in this state and country who are Longhorns fans in other sports, who have suddenly become swimming fans...they (Ricky and Dave) have a responsibility to them to continue and lead the next generation. We have some people in our freshman class who could very well be in their shoes when we get to London. Now, they need to not only do what they can to be a part of that team, but also help and guide and be mentors to the next generation of swimmers.
